


Rewriting the Books

by 29PheonixLement



Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: Multi, mid 7x22
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-08-11
Updated: 2019-02-16
Packaged: 2019-06-25 17:02:43
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 10
Words: 15,084
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15645099
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/29PheonixLement/pseuds/29PheonixLement
Summary: CHAPTER WARNING:  This chapter does infer to the use of date rape drugs but I swear nothing comes of it except the victim fall unconscious and-spoilers-the person responsible for using the drugs gets exactly what he deserves.I just wanted to warn you now and if you want to completely skip this chapter by my guest if things like this are triggers for you.





	1. The Set Up

As soon as those books were wheeled out they didn’t reach for their own like the others around the table. No, they took each other’s needing to know what awaited the woman they loved should Rumpelstiltskin succeed. The only thing keeping them grounded in the fact that these worlds were not their own was the comforting weight of the other’s hand resting on the table top between them while they read.

Alice’s eyes welled with more tears with each new heart ach her love faced. Every failer in the few pages she’d forced herself to read only hardened her love more and more against the world. Instead of letting go of the mean girl persona from her youth this Robin seemed to be filled by it and with no Zelena, Regina or herself to keep her grounded meant that this Robin was quickly consumed with the darkness.

Beside her Robin was reading over the words of how the Alice in the book slowly lost any hope when her father was cursed away from her with no troll to save her this time and what was worse no Robin to love her once she had somehow found a way to leave the tower a task that just turned this Alice into a vengeful rage on the world taking up her father’s path of seeking revenge on the woman who’d locked her up only to become far worse that Gothel could ever be once her hunt was over and Gothel was destroyed.

Both could hear the others around the table gasping and cursing as they read over what could become their stories if ‘the Dark One’ got his wish and even a few books being thrown across the room as their owners fell into the arms of the ones they loved for comfort.

Both Kilian and Zelena looked over when one of their daughters was the next to join the book throwing club but it wasn’t the one they’d thought to cave so easily.

“Sshhh just listen to me, babe,” Alice whispered her arms wrapped in a vice around Robin’s shaking form. “We’re going to win this thing. None of us will have to deal with any of these horrible endings” Alice vowed her own tears falling freely now as she held Robin’s eyes. “And do you know why we’re going to win love?” she goaded with a shaky smile sending a teasing wink in Zelena’s direction as Robin shook her head confused.

“Yes, you do.” Alice purred breaking the melancholy tension around the table with her playful laughter while pressing a kiss against Robin’s hairline “How are we going to kick ‘Dark One’ butt baby?” she asked ruffling Robin’s hair as she nodded over toward Zelena.

“Cause wicked always wins.” The archer answered her voice shaky but determined cracking the first real smile since opening that cursed book.

“You bet it does.” Alice agreed throwing a sly wink toward her Papa making him grin back at her with a small node.

“Then let’s get to it.” Snow decided thinking it was better to break up now before everyone could return to dwelling too much on what they’d read on what could be their lives.


	2. Into the Book

They’d decided the second everything settled in the new realms and the small quiet funeral for Rumpelstiltskin finished. The wait was over, and they deserved their happy endings.

“Have you….”

But the question stopped at the hard look the asker received from both women.

“We have and we’re still doing this so stop trying to talk us out of it Papa.” Alice insisted putting the finishing touches on smoothing out the comforter over the sleeping coat they’d moved into the main alcove of the vault.

“And that goes for you both too.” Robin joined in knowing without needed to look over at them that her mother and aunt were about to argue for the now quiet Captain “We’re starting with ours as a tester and if it works then we’ll tell the others and see if they’d want to try.” Robin continued gingerly taking one of the black covered books from beside the caldron and moved it over to her other side, so it would be within easy reach when the time came.

“and that’s why you asked me here.” Henry or Sheriff as he goes by now to stop confusion with his adult self commented twisting the author pen between his hands. “Just in case.” He guessed making both Alice and Robin node in answer.

“But the author power shouldn’t be used that way. It can’t be used that way remember what happened with…with what’s his name.” Regina reminded them moving to stand beside Sheriff resting her hand against his shoulder in that Motherly way he was still getting used to. “I’m not going to turn dark again Mom.” The young man vowed covering her hand with his own reassuringly. “Robin and Alice just want me here to finish the stories and make them happier ones like you’ve given me.”

Zelena huffed crossing her arms over her chest as she met her daughter’s eyes. “But why do you have to go into the books to be sure the story turns into a better one? That seems incredibly dangerous.” Killian cut in still pressed his fingers against the bridge of his nose as he tried yet again to wrap his mind around what his little girl wanted to do.

“Which is why we’re not going into our own.” Robin answered wrapping her arms around Alice’s middle when her fiancée flinched as her eyes fell on the dark bound book bearing her name. She sunk back against her archer’s strong hold resting her head against Robin’s shoulder. “And to be sure we don’t get pulled in ourselves we’re going to be outside with the rest of you while the other is being written in.” Alice picked up “Then hopefully once we’ve gotten the other’s darker self into a more docile state we’ll bring them back here, so they can start a new story together just like we have.”

“I’m still hearing a lot of ‘ifs’ with this plan.” Zelena announced, “What if something goes wrong with….” Robin got up leaning down to press a kiss against the crown of Alice’s head then closed the distance between herself and her mother. “We’re going to do this Mom with or without your help alright? These stories aren’t just words on a page they are some version of our lives. Lives that need to be better and we’re heroes so making other peoples lives better is what we do best.” The archer reminded her. “I hate it when your right.” Zelena sighed wrapping her arm across her daughter’s shoulders. “So, who gets to go first?” she asked her eyes sliding toward Rogers when Alice’s hand raised.

The quiet argument was something to witness but it ended with the pirate captain giving in with a small node that had his daughter tackling him in a tight hug. “I’ll be alright Papa. Promise.” She assures him burrowing against his chest when he wouldn’t let her go. “I trust you Starfish its this other Robin I don’t trust.” He confesses sending their Robin a guilty look, but she only shrugs it off stepping more against her mothers’ side. “I tamed this one easy enough I can do it again.” Alice joked earning a halfhearted scoff from her fiancée.

“Take care of this for me. I want it back the second I get back.” Alice whispered pressing her engagement ring into Robin’s shaking hand closing her fingers over it without looking away from Robin’s eyes. “Just…. stay safe over there.” her archer pleaded while everyone but the author and Zelena rather than Regina climbed the steps out of the vault. Alice’s answer was a rather long promising kiss much like the one they shared before the last curse.

The three in the vault waited until the stone coffin had been moved back into place before they started. “Wait wait wait.” Zelena insisted seeing the author unpacking his pen and turn to a clean page of her darker daughter’s book. Alice was prepared to yet again defend what she was about to do only to be pulled into a rather bone aching hug by the other woman that would soon be her mother in law. “If I see you need help I’ll be coming in after you as fast as I can to talk some sense into that girl of mine.” The former Wicked Witch vowed without dropping her arms from around Alice’s middle.

“Let’s get this show on the road.” Alice sighed once she could breath again taking two of the waiting little bottles from beside the caldron pocketing one and pulling the stopper out of the other drinking the liquid inside it in one go. “gah that little liar she said this would taste like cand….” She started to say but she wasn’t able to finish her thought. Luckily Zelena was close enough that she could catch the little glass bottle as it falls through Alice's hand while the woman herself vanished from her place on the neatly made bed.

“We didn’t think she’d drink it if she knew it tasted like powdered squid ink.” The author confessed taking the now glowing bottle from Zelena’s hand and dipping his pen into the freshly made ink. “She’ll be fine as soon as the story is finished.” He promised seeing Zelena’s wide unbelieving eyes as he turned to the blank page of the open book and started to write.


	3. Robin pt 1

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> CHAPTER WARNING: This chapter does infer to the use of date rape drugs but I swear nothing comes of it except the victim fall unconscious and-spoilers-the person responsible for using the drugs gets exactly what he deserves.  
> I just wanted to warn you now and if you want to completely skip this chapter by my guest if things like this are triggers for you.

The first thing Alice did when she opened her eyes was lift her wrist checking to be sure the multicolored bracelet was still tightly wound around her wrist. The second was to check that the second vile she’d brought with her was still in tacked from the hard landing she’d made against the forest floor. Mercifully it was.

“Right. Now for the easy part.” she laughed pushing herself to her feet brushing the bits of earth and twigs from her pants. If this Robin was anything like her own, then she shouldn’t be too hard to find in her natural world. “Unless I could get a little help. Speed things along a little.” Alice mused her eyes still closed as she listened to the world around her.

It didn’t take long until the band on her wrist to pulse in a familiar warmth like fingers wrapped around her wrist pulling her forward, but it soon turned cold when she set off in a possible direction. “Okay then.” Alice mused biting back a hiss from the sting of the chill now racing up her arm as she turned setting off again only for the cold to grow making her veer off in another direction with the same result. It was only until she’d done a complete circle that the ice reseated from around her wrist and the warmth returned. “You just have to be difficult don’t you.” Alice huffed shaking out the cold from her fingertips as she started walking again taking care to look out for any possible trip lines as she headed deeper into the trees.

She reached the edge of a village just as the sun cleared the trees she almost chuckled at the covenant line of drying clothes that seemed at first glance to be exactly her size and even after several minutes of hunting around for a good hiding spot once she’d changed finding a leather satchel, so she wouldn’t have to leave the clothes she’d landed in behind. “Thanks, Henry.” Alice whispered stashing her clothes inside it and pulling the strap over her head then pulling up the hood on the cloak clasped across her shoulders as she set off again letting the warmth around her wrist guide her.

Alice needed a plain. She knew just asking where this Robin was was out of the question but since landing in this realm all the groundwork she and her Robin had put into place in their talks about what they should do went out the window.

The creek of a sign over her head made her stop and look up. “Okay, maybe not as hopeless as I thought.” Alice admitted pausing a little longer to admire the peeling paint of the tavern's sign before heading inside. As excepted people looked over at her entrance but after a quick once over when the lost interest in her none of them were who she was hunting for but maybe she’d get lucky if she waited.

“What’s a pretty woman like yourself doing in a place like this all by your lonesome?” a gruff voice asked setting a mug of clear liquid in front of her. “It just water until you order something stronger.” He tells her at Alice’s uneasy glance from the drink to him and back again. She still is unconvinced crossing her arms as she leans back in her chair. “I’m waiting for someone.” She tells him it not really a lie “and you picked here to wait for them?” the man questioned with a stiff laugh and a shake of his head. “Not many people have your guts since the attack.” He sighed but before she could ask for any more information he’d already moved off back to the bar.

After a good hour of waiting slowly nursing the third mug of what was in fact water as she watched people come and go without any hint of the one, she wanted Alice was starting to lose hope. With a defeated groan she pushed her hood back letting it fall across her shoulders as she got up starching her arms over her head. With only a glance up from cleaning a few glasses the bartender pointed her to the back when she approached the bar. “Thanks.” She whispered heading off to the back room with one last look at the few customers. When she returned a few minutes later it was to a rather unwelcome sight in the seat opposite the one she had been using for the last hour.

He looked exactly the same as he had the time he’d ordered his men to lock both her and her Robin up in the tavern’s cell for being ‘Troll Lovers’

“Have a drink with me.” He said by way of a greeting as Alice approached the table again. Henry better have a good reason for bringing this man in or she was going to punch him when she got back home. “Now I know everyone in this town. But you. You I don’t know.” He said conversationally when she does as he wants and sits down. She could tell he was lying but couldn’t put her finger on why while he signals for the bartender to bring them over another round of drinks.

“Tilly. Tilly West.” Alice introduces holding out her hand across the table her smile real enough to get him to take it. “I’m just waiting for a friend then I’ll be out of your hair.” She explains just as she had to the bartender. “So, who is this friend your waiting so patiently for?” her companion probes leaning across the table toward her when Alice’s eyes flicker to the door over his shoulder when it opens again. “My betrothed as a matter of fact.” She says trying to be polite when all she really wants if to reach over and punch the man right in his face for reasons he didn’t know about as her eyes meet his.

“Well, I hope he shows soon.” He says getting to his feet the second Alice finished off the last of the liquid in her mug and after some more rounds of polite conversation mostly on his part while Alice continued her people watching. Gah now she knows why her Papa stopped drinking. Apart from the strange flowery taste hard liquor was disgusting but she forces it down under her companion’s watchful eyes. “You and me both.” She agrees thinking of giving Robin another five minutes of waiting before moving on and letting the hot and cold campus on her wrist guide her again.

Alice walks out of the bar ten minutes later with a scowl and directions to the nearest inn seeing as she wasn’t going to chance walking around in the dark no matter how much she trusted her guide.

She’d just made a street over from the tavern when it hit her making her stagger a bit on her feet. How could a hardened street-smart woman like her not known until it was too late what had happened to her? Alice curses again struggling against the effects of the drug and vowing vengeance on the author for allowing this in his work when the warmth around her wrist rose just enough to ground her, so she could trip her way into the alcove of a shop front to get her bearings, but Alice had bigger problems at the moment than figuring out what that meant.

“I was about to give up on you.” The man from the tavern laughed melting out of the shadows across the strip of road separating them. Alice cursed when her legs chose that moment to give out on her, but she’d had enough time to drop into a chair when her would be attacker dropped to his knees with a surprised grunt then dropped onto his face in the muddy road with three arrows sticking out of his back.

Alice blinks hard against the drugs still in her system but only coming up with a person-sized black blob in front of her eyes as her rescuer retrieved the arrows from her victim before turning to deal with her. The last thing Alice hears besides a greeting of "Let’s get you off the streets in this condition" is a disbelieving gasp as the band around her wrist continues pulsing with a wildfire of power as those strong arms she loved so much slid under her legs pulling her up against her savior's chest before Alice loses her fight against the darkness of unconsciousness. 


	4. Burning Up Trust (Robin pt 2)

She’s disoriented the next time her eyes opened. The last thing she remembered she was drugged by that horrible man and him coming closer to her while the heat around her wrist grew hotter. Now the sunlight was nearly blinding her, and she was in a bed that most defiantly wasn’t the one she and Robin share in Storybrooke or the one they have in Hyperion Heights. Worst still was her most prized position besides her engagement ring and Mr. Rabbit was missing.

“I promise you, Mills, when I get my hands on you you’re going to regret ever upsetting a pirate’s daughter.” Alice growled to the ceiling cradling her bare arm as if her wrist had been slit and letting go meant bleeding to death.

Her threat was met with a husky chuckle from the other side of the room. “So, not only do I save your life twice, I bring you to my home to recover from nearly being assaulted and so you could sleep off that awful drug Clayton slipped you, spend the night over here in a dark corner sleeping on a back killing sofa so you can take my bed and go out early to hunt us up some lunch because you slept in during breakfast but I’m still getting death threats.”

“Tell me where my bracelet is then maybe I’ll thank you for saving me.

The Robin across from her didn’t bother looking up as she answered, “Well I had to get it off of you before it burned your hand off, didn’t I?” she questioned continuing in salvaging parts from the destroyed bow on the table beside the sun seat she was laying on like she hadn’t a care in the world

Alice blinked in confusion her heart sinking at the very idea of what her words could mean. “Please tell me you didn’t.” she begged “I didn’t do anything except take the damned thing off you. It’s not my fault the stupid thing burnt up as soon as I finished cutting it off. Otherwise, I’d give it back to you but even you should know that the magic here is majorly unstable.” Robin said as if it didn’t mean anything to her at the lose like it affected Alice.

“First you killed that man in cold blood and now you’re telling me you’ve destroyed the first thing the love of my life ever gave me?” Alice asked her voice cracking as she decided she really was going to murder the author when she got back home or at the very least seriously maim him for putting her in this horrible story she hadn’t really completely decided what to do yet.

“So, what your saying is you would rather I’d have let that jerk wad possibly defile and robe you of your magic then leave you in unconscious the streets like you were nothing?” the dark archer questioned almost as angry as Alice was as she swung her legs down from their stretched out position on the couch letting out a low hiss when moving her arm from the back of the couch seemed to hurt her.

Alice looked up from her search of her stolen satchel breathing a quiet sigh of relief that at least the other things she’d brought with her were still in tacked momentarily forgetting her anger at the show of pain. “What hurts?” the question confused the other woman still working on her bow, yet the pain hadn’t left her eyes. “My feelings for one.” She answered the sarcasm in her voice making Alice roll her eyes.

“Cut the tough talk Mills where are you hurt, how bad it your injury and should I be expecting blood?” the fiery-eyed blonde questioned getting up from the bed to the washstand in the corner of the room.

“Jeez you’ve never been this angry so early in the morning before.” She sighed giving in sooner than Alice had expected and voluntarily yet gingerly tugging off her clothes until she was just in her hunting pants and a thin striped tank top turning just enough to show Alice the deep looking knife wound in her shoulder. “Some idiots thought they could jump me on the way back from hunting up our lunch.” The injured woman explained at Alice’s worried gasp seeing as even from her place still sitting on the bed and across the room from the double of her true love Alice could tell it was a nasty one, yet Robin didn’t seem to be more than a little dazed by it. “Your worrying over nothing Tower Girl. I’ve had a lot worse since you……Well, I’ve just had worse than a knife to the shoulder let’s just leave it at that.” Robin hurried on grudgingly taking a seat between Alice’s legs at the foot of the bed.

“I’m worrying over nothing. Robin, you let some random person get in a cut this deep to your shooting shoulder and by the look of it they turned your bow into kindling once you were down. How can I do anything but worry when I know how much your bow means to you Nobin?” Alice questioned disbelieving giving the needle she’d found to Robin to sterilize while she worked on ripping some clean towels into bandages

“I wouldn’t say I  _let them._ ” Robin answered threw gritted teeth leaning back against the warm body of Alice sitting behind her when the needle first pierces her skin “and it’s not like I only have just the one bow. I mean come on Jones I think you know me better than that.” Robin pointed out glancing back over her shoulder at the woman sitting behind her. “But they outnumbered me okay let’s just leave it at that and finish stitching me up…..Please?”

Alice scoffed at the excuse but finished carefully stitching up the injury all the same. Even-after a long hesitation-leaning in to press her lips to it just like she would for her own Robin back home. She chose not to hear the surprised purr or to feel the not so subtle shiver under her lips that the action caused the woman sitting in front of her as she cleaned up the rest of the blood from around the newly stitched wound giving it another kiss before she started wrapping Robin’s shoulder in a bandage.

“Thanks.” Robin says gingerly testing the circulation in her shoulder once Alice was finished.

The long string of curses that followed would have made even the great Captain Hook blush when Alice reeled back to punch the same shoulder she’d just sewn up as hard as she could and thanks to her two years as Tilly that had greatly improved her punching power. “That’s for destroying my bracelet.” Alice explained grinning when her attack hadn’t broken her stitch work while at least reaching out to steady Robin before she could fall. “And this.” Alice continued spinning the still stunned woman around to face her grabbing a fist full of Robin’s tank top shirt bringing them close enough to breathe in the other’s air. “This is because despite the fact your well…. that you’re you at the moment I still love you like crazy so…” The blonde finished in a rush closing the last few inches between them for a rather hungry kiss.

“I guess this is as good a time as any to ask you out huh?” Robin laughed after they’d parted when breathing became essential again. “What do you mean?” Alice asked nuzzling against the hollow of the other woman’s throat yet quietly seething about what this other Robin had done to her bracelet. “I mean I want you to come with me to this fancy dinner party I’m crashing tonight, so I can steal back a few things this deranged woman stole from me a long time ago and maybe if we’re really lucky we can steal enough magic from her that I can fix that bracelet for you, so you lose this chip on your shoulder.” Robin answered her fingers twisting in the curls at the back of Alice’s neck as she talked.

“You destroyed something incredibly important to me and you just expect me to come with you on a thieving raid just like that?” Alice clarified without breaking from the other woman’s hold around her waist.

“That’s the jist of it yeah.” Robin agreed with a crooked smile on her lips “Come on, please. If you don’t come, I’ll just be wasting a who lot of lip gloss and wearing a fancy dress for nothing.”

It was eerily quiet while Alice debated but, in the end, her heart won out over that little voice in her head telling her this could be a trap. “Alright. I’ll go.”

Robin gave a little happy squeal picking Alice up and spinning her around in her excitement. “It’s a date then.” She grinned leaning in to steal another fast kiss from Alice’s lips before untangling herself from the blonde. “The carriage should be here to pick us up around 8:30. Dresses are over in that closet over there and I’ll see you again at 7:15 ish for lunch.” Her giggling dark archer listed stealing yet another kiss before departing.


	5. Dancing with Darkness (Robin pt 3)

“I know someone that works here, so I snagged an invitation.” Robin explained producing the card with a smooth flick of her wrist and holding it up for Alice’s inspection with a rather proud grin. Alice shuddered at the possibilities of what that could mean remembering from that first painful skimming of those pages she’d read of her book that this Robin’s dealings rivaled that of the Captain Hook from her Robin’s Storybrooke.

“Hey.” The Robin at her side coaxed pulling them to a stop seeing the faraway look in Alice’s eyes while the carriage they had come in drove off. “Just because I got this invitation from another woman and we will be needing a quick exit once I get what I came for doesn’t mean I can’t take you on a proper date while we’re here.”

“What are we here for anyway? If I’m going to help you shouldn’t I know?” Alice wondered looking up at a castle that could rival the one her Robin showed her once while they were looking in Henry’s book of the castle that was meant to belong to King Midas.

Robin stiffened at the questions absently twisting the invitation in her other hand as they stepped closer to the front doors refusing to meet Alice’s eyes before she answered. “Can’t we just have a nice time before we get down to work?”

“Alright but I feel a little overdressed for the occasion.” Alice admitted making Robin chuckled. “You look beautiful as always.” She assured tucking a stray lock of hair behind Alice’s ear. “Just be sure you can still dance in that thing once we’re finished climbing this step mountain cause I’m demanding at least one possibly even two before the real fun starts.” Her dark archer says in a low voice reminding the blonde on her arm that she wasn’t with the Robin she knew as they trekked up the steps.

“The last time I was at a fancy party like this I was working for Rumpelstiltskin.” Alice mused unlocking her arms from Robin’s as she stared up at the towering structure ahead of them only for the other woman to grab her hand interlocking their fingers instead.

“I just don’t want to lose you it all.” Robin defended giving Alice another of her adorable smiles.

“We’re not even properly in the castle yet how could you lose me?” Alice laughed only making Robin smile wider, yet it didn’t reach her eyes. “You’d be surprised.” Was all the archer answered with tightening her grip around Alice’s hand.

Alice chose to let the matter drop in favor if another more maddening topic “You still haven’t told me what we’re here for.” Robin sighed heavily bringing their joined hands up to brush her lips against Alice’s knuckles then leaned in pulling Alice in to brush their lips together. “You let me worry about that okay?” was whispered against her lips making Alice’s head spin as well as want to pull the darker archer in for another longer kiss.

Alice wanted to argue back once she regained control over herself but whatever she was going to say chocked off in her throat as soon as she stepped over the threshold and the palace doors swung open for them.

“Everything alright Tower Girl?” Robin asked no doubt feeling Alice’s hands trembling in her own. She couldn’t answer not right away at least over the strong feel of old magic flowing around her. If she wasn’t completely sure she was wrong Alice would have sworn it was some kind of variation of the spell that had held her prisoner in her tower for the first seventeen years of her life or at the very least some strong kind of blood magic.

“Will you at least tell me how you know me in this realm.” She knew it was a lot to ask, but it was something she had been curious about since waking up under the supposed villainous archer’s tender care.

“Would your curiosity into our past have anything to do with that bottle you have tucked into your satchel?” The annoying question made Alice tug the concealed bag closer on reflex more than anything else. Part of her wondering how Robin had even found a way for her to be able to bring it along in the first place. “If I said yes and that I have a way for you to start a new life somewhere else would you still tell me?”

“That is a story with a not so happy beginning or ending.” Robin answered her tone sullen. “Tell me anyway. Please” Alice pressed gently while Robin’s eyes only hardened the longer she looked into them. Robin scoffed at that rather than answer her properly lifting two glasses from a passing waiter offering one to Alice before taking a long sip of her own draining half the glass in one go before speaking again “I know you’re not supposed to be here but somehow taking me along with you when you go back to where ever you are from isn’t possible.”

It was Alice’s turn to scoff at that tilting the contents of her glass around while she watched some of the other guests waltz around the dance floor. “I mean to even try and attempt something like that you’d need an insane amount of magic or….”

“Or know an author?” Alice offered in a low whisper making the other woman’s eyes widen as they met her own. “Well I have both and that little bottle you found snooping in my stuff is to help me help you.” Alice tells her truthfully taking a small sip from her own glass.

Robin licked her lips while she thought everything over. “We finish this last job. We finish this then maybe I’ll come with you.” She decides draining the last of her drink. “Now how about a dance?” Alice hesitated shaking her head part of her not wanting her first dance at a fancy ball to be was with someone who was meant to be a crueler version of her Robin,

“Please,” Robin whispered making Alice blink in surprise when her voice was more like the Robin she knew was waiting for her back in Storybrooke even her stance had softened. “Please Alice.” Robin tried again her arms snaking around Alice’s neck as she stepped into the blonde’s personal space clinging onto her for dear life.

“One dance.” Alice relented when the music changed into something slower that she wasn’t expecting a band from the Enchanted Forest to know as she let Robin lead her out onto the dance floor.

Alic let her eyes slide closed trusting Robin to make sure they wouldn't run into anyone or anything while the danced. 

Except when she opened her eyes when the music suddenly cut off in the middle of their second dance they were no longer in the middle of a crowded dance hall or even in a castle. They were standing in the middle of an overgrown flower grove that any other time Alice would have loved.

This time, however.

“I’m sorry we’re late. She seemed to need a little more persuasion than we’d originally thought.” Robin says without looking away from Alice’s confused gaze. All she could see was a flash of regret before the emptiness returned to the archer’s eyes as her arms dropped away she turned to the throne like tree behind them.

The woman held out her hand toward them. “So you truly have returned to us.” She smiled while Robin knelt in front of her head bowed and back stiff. "I never would have believed." Gothel says in surprise "I'm here to re-pledge myself to the coven." Robin says but stops as a cloud of green smoke enveloped the still kneeling archer changing her dress into a much sleeker form-fitting fully armored version of her hunting gear complete with bow and quiver of arrows slung across her back trading in her browns and earthy greens for ebony black and emerald colors. "Welcome back." was all the elder woman said before her eyes rose to meet Alice's.

“My daughter.” Gothel smiled her hand reaching out to caress Alice’s cheek as Robin rises behind her only to head in the direction of a young-looking ash tree rather than spare the pair even the slightest glance. The white tree trunk the only real splash of color in that dark little corner of the grove.

“Not while I’m around to say otherwise.” Another much more welcomed voice answered making everyone in the grove turn to look at her. “Sorry I took so long darling, Traffic was horrible.”


	6. Heartless Choices (Robin pt4)

Zelena kept her eyes fixed on Alice and Gothel as she entered and it took Alice a long second to notice that rather than the jeans, sweater and jacket she had been in the last time the blonde had seen her now Robin’s mother was dressed in a nice evening dress similar to the one Robin had been wearing before changing in to her coven hunting clothes.

“You my dear daughter are grounded until the end of time,” Zelena says casting a sideways glance over toward the white tree and the woman kneeling beside it. “I wouldn’t.” the former Wicked Witch says noticing how Robin’s hands twitch toward the bow slung across her back making the weapon vanish and reappear in the mother’s outstretched hand.

It was Alice that deflected the knife Robin chose to use instead sending it off course, so it embedded in a nearby tree rather than into Zelena’s side. Before Gothel could lay another finger on Alice at the show of her magic Zelena was sending her crashing back into the throne giving Alice time to run over into her waiting embrace.

“Thanks for keeping your promise.” Alice said her eyes already swimming in tears while Zelena’s arms closed around her back cradling her against the taller woman’s body in that comforting motherly way the blonde has come to know from the woman some still see as a green-skinned villain. “You honestly thought I wouldn’t?” Zelena asked with a wounded expression pulling Alice in for yet another hug. “Silly Alice.”

Robin had obediently pulled Gothel up from the broken tree chair by the time the two had finished their back and forth. Her eyes harder than ever as she looked them over. “You took my daughter from me once Zelena. I won’t let you take this one as well.” Gothel snarled

“I took your daughter from you?” Zelena asked amazed “You did that yourself when you left her alone all those years just so you could wreak havoc on the world.” The red-haired sorcerous answered bitterly. “Besides you stole my daughter from me and I’m here to take her back as well so get used to disappointment.” She added cursing when she noticed that Robin had somehow gotten her bow and her collection of arrows back while they had been talking.

“Why would I want to go anywhere with you?” Robin spat an arrow notched and ready to fire as she lifted her weapon. Alice couldn’t decide what to do not wanting to hurt Robin no matter how cruel she was being at the moment but not wanting to put Zelena in more danger than they already were in by facing Gothel. The red-haired woman may have her magic back but without Alice’s powers as the Guardian, they didn’t stand that good of a chance.

“And you say I’m a horrible mother.” Gothel scoffed resting her hand against Robin’s shoulder. “You’re right.” The archer says her eyes now lingering on Alice’s tear-stained face. “See even your own daughter agrees.” Gothel laughed

“You’re the one that left me alone for nights on end to morn over the man that murdered my father in cold blood.” Robin says her eyes moving to Zelena’s.

“I made sure Belle was with you or Granny or even Archie. You weren’t ever really alone monkey.” Zelena defended “But they weren’t you.” Her daughter snarled her eyes seeming to glow with an all too familiar green fire as they stared into her mother’s. “I mean come on the only reason you even had me was to get back at your own sister by sleeping with her true love, so you could have his baby when she couldn’t.” Robin ranted her eyes sliding back to Alice’s while Gothel’s grip tightened on her shoulder as Robin’s hand closed around the hilt of a deadly looking hunting knife at her belt her bow and the arrow she wanted to use forgotten in favor of a more up close kind of confrontation. One of her father’s knives if Zelena remembered correctly.

“You were all that and much much more.” Robin whispers taking the blade from its resting place testing the weight of it against her palm. “I’ve hated you for so long I can’t even think of any more reasons there are too many to count.” The huntress says her eyes downcast as if she was talking to the weapon in her hand rather than any of them.

“See it’s no wonder your daughter came running to me the first chance she got.” Gothel goaded her hands caressing Robin’s hair as she spoke

“Oh god not more monologuing.” Zelena groaned “I could almost take it from Robin but you?” she gagged her arms warping protectively around Alice’s waist while she tried to think of an escape. Alice had gone into a kind of trance unable to tell if she was more angry or devastated at the last few moments in time as her eyes refused to drop from Robin’s bowed head.

It was Alice that noticed it a bottle much like the one she had brought with her suddenly appearing in Robin’s other hand its constance ordinary water to the blonde’s eyes but seemingly important to Robin who swiftly coated her blade in the liquid before the bottle vanished just as suddenly as it had appeared.

“Do you know how long I’ve been searching for you Mother?” Robin asked her tone light and almost conversational as she seemed to rejoin the world around her

“Robin darling what did I just day about the monologue thing?” Zelena groaned while beside her Alice let out a broken breath of a laugh. “six years and twenty-two days.” Robin answered for them acting like they hadn’t interrupted her taking two steps down from the throne making Zelena and Alice back up two steps at the advance. “And in all that time I was trying to think of what I was going to say when I finally found you again.” she tells them spinning the knife in her hand with a bored kind of expression “Something long and drawn out so I could tell you just how royally you’ve destroyed my life? Or something simple?” she listed taking several more steps toward the retreating pair while Gothel started cackling behind her.

“And what did you choose dear one?” the nymph questioned clapping her hands together as if egging on her own flesh a blood daughter.

“Something simple.” Robin answered now standing a breath away from her mother and Alice her dagger raised but not pressed against Zelena’s throat. “And what was it you wanted to say to her?” Gothel coaxed.

“Say hi to dad for me you heartless Witch.”


	7. A Watery Ending & A New Beginning (Robin pt 5)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Long chapter.  
> Sorry in advance to anyone who can't follow this chapter. This story now has a mind of its own.

Alice couldn't look away while Zelena chose to let her eyes close mostly to keep from crying at just how deeply she'd failed her little girl.

Robin's arm wrapped around her throat pressing the blade against the flesh from behind with her chin resting against her victim's shoulder as she smoothed her long hair back out of her face pushing it back over the opposite shoulder with tender movements as if she was taking a few extra seconds to savor the moment before she delivered the final strike. The flash of the blade was mercifully quick slicing into her skin in seconds. Really the mark it left seemed to be just deep enough to draw blood across her throat which surprised them given the size of the blade Robin was holding.

The effect wasn't immediate as Robin dropped her arm from around her neck already descending the steps back down to where her mother and Alice waited while Gothel looked on with the same betrayed look Alice guessed she'd had when they first arrived.

Her hand reached up touching the sliver of blood Robin's knife had spilled as she healed the cut as easily as she took another breath to speak but Robin spoke first lifting the weapon up for Gothel to see it properly. The gray steel was gone replaced with a strange electric blue-white crystal kind of blade "Say hi to my father for me witch." She repeated letting the drop of what Alice could now see to be a mix of water and blood drip off the tip of the knife and drop to the earth as if in slow motion.

Gothel's eyes widened at the meaning already going to her throat while the magic took hold as she dropped to her knees with a pained groan as more of her body was pulled away by the green hazy of power until the woman was gone leaving only a hazy blue outlined shadow of her behind looking at them with that wild-eyed panic before she too started to disappear before there eyes.

"What did you do? Where did she go?" Alice asked fear lacing her voice as Robin finished whipping the strange knife on her pants before replacing it in the sheath at her waist while the last wispy flashes of green and blue faded into nothing.

Zelena's eyes were owlish as they stayed locked on her daughters "You didn't." she whispered unable to even think it let alone that her daughter would have chosen such an ending for anyone however cruel they might be. "She deserved it." Robin answered her tone cold and more than a little distant. "Hades might have been a colossal father killing jerk with fire for hair but some of his tactics are worth learning."

"How much has Robin told you about our trip to the Underworld or about what happened to her father?" Zelena questioned at Alice's confused expression. "Let's just say that I made it impossible for her to ever hurt you again Tower Girl." The archer says by way of answering making Alice's mouth drop into a small 'o' in understanding before she answered. "Robin's right Zelena she really did kind of deserve it."

"I'll take that bottle now." Robin says holding out her hand toward the blonde. "There's nothing holding me here anymore." She says casting one last glance over to the white tree "I could use a fresh start." She shrugged shifting her bow into a more comfortable position against her back while Alice dug into her bag. "So, what I just drink it?" she asked after Alice handed the potion over.

"I think so." She nodded sharing a look with Zelena only to have the redhead shake her head "He didn't tell me anything other than you were in trouble." She confessed

The portal that opened up once Robin had drained the little bottle reminded Alice of the ones she uses to visit Wonderland.

Henry wasn't at his little makeshift writing desk like he had been when Zelena had last seen the place when they stepped out on the other side but before she could think too much on that subject the sounds of the stone monument over their heads scrapped back across the floor making Robin instinctively pull Alice behind her as she raised her bow an arrow already sitting against her hand ready to fire as the portal closed up behind them.

"What's with the Hunger Games look Robs?" Regina asked trying to lighten the tense mood as well as walk into having an arrow directed at her chest making her pause in the alcove of her vault her hands already raised showing she wasn't a threat. "Ours is staying as top side until we know if its safe." She added seeing Alice's worried yet hopeful look over her shoulder while the archer replaced the arrow in the carrier across her back and lowered her bow.

"What? What's going on?" Alice panicked trying and failing to move forward but couldn't because of some kind of magnetic force keeping her in place and going by Zelena and Regina's surprised expressions she wasn't the only one feeling the strange sensation. Everyone that is except Robin.

"For once this isn't my doing." The archer announced as if commenting on the weather on a dull day.

"You're right it's not." Her own voice answered them as the woman herself descended the steps.

"Robin? Baby, what are you doing?" Alice asked not wanting to know what could possibly happen when the two are in the same room let alone close enough to touch one another.

"Just a little insurance for later Tower Girl. So, we know all of this isn't for nothing." Robin assures her, but her voice isn't reassuring at all. "What are you going to do?" Zelena asks wondering where Rogers or even the Sheriff was so someone would stop her little girl while there was still time. "I'm taking a page from your book Aunt Regina." The bespectacled archer says sparing Regina a small smile as she passed her the shaky determination in her voice scaring everyone to hear including her darker self.

It wouldn't be until later that Alice would notice the glowing band tied around her fiancée's wrist steadily pulsing in power with each step Robin took into the room.

"I wouldn't." the darker archer advised her body tense as they stared one another down. Both of them slowly advances like Alice had with her Papa cautiously testing the limits. "Good thing I'm not you then." Robin answers plunging her hand into her doppelganger's chest right over her heart.

Alice couldn't tell if her scream was for her Robin the one she loved more than her own life or for the Robin that betrayed her to her mother only to kill her without a second thought. The second time however it was clear when the black clade archer shoved her 'hero self' way with a strength they didn't know she could possess given their current position sending the other Robin into a heavy looking shelf piled with glass bottles and thick spine books across from them.

Regina, Zelena, and Alice converged on their Robin while her darker self pushed herself back to her feet on shaking legs the magnetic spell seemingly broken now the caster was momentarily unconscious. "I told her she shouldn't have done that." She reminded them in a dull tone rubbing a hand over her chest.

Alice and Zelena had to bite their tongues to keep from cursing at her while Margot starred under their hands letting out a weak groan as her eyes blinked open "Ouch." She complained grateful for the support when her head started to spin as she sat up too quickly.

"Oh, walk if off I've taken way worse hits than that." The other arched taunted uninterested in what had just happened while she kept massaging that spot over her heart.

"Smart move putting a protection spell on your heart." Regina praises putting herself between the two just in case she tries to hurt her niece again.

"Why would I put a protection spell on something I don't have?"

Before they really have time to process the new information another voice joins in confirming what Robin has already told them. "She's right. She doesn't have one."

They all looked over at the sound of Henry's voice the young man leaning heavily against the wall as he spoke but when they still didn't understand he elaborated farther "Gothel used hers to bring her own mother back."

"But I stopped that." Zelena defended "Not in her storyline you didn't" the author argued his hands shaking as he made his way forward on unsteady legs. The use of the author pen taking more of a tole than normal this time around.

"But she's right there." Alice says still confused with her arms still locked defensively around her own archer

"Did you all honestly just think you'd jump into a story half way without knowing how it started?" the ebony and emerald clade archer taunted with a rather mincing breath of a laugh "Even you?" she added her eyes moving to Henry with a disappointed scowl.

"The Rumpelstiltskin from the wish realm wrote them but they were left unfinished." Alice answered before Henry could even open his mouth to defend himself.

"I think my story has a pretty amazing ending considering the circumstances. I mean I might have half a heart and…."

"I'm sorry you have what?" Zelena cut in exchanging a look with her sister then with her Robin and Alice.

The captive woman just groaned knowing she would have to tell them eventually, so she made herself comfortable on the long-forgotten sleeping cot before she started telling them about her past. "I'd already joined the coven by the time I met my Alice. Gothel brought her in to the fold once she realized how much power she really had. She and I started dating in secret not long after that something Gothel wasn't the lest be happy with especially when she found out Alice and I were going to leave the coven and wreak havoc somewhere else just the two of us." She heard a few gasps and whispered murmurs passed from one to another as she talked but Robin wasn't about to stop now as her eyes traced along a crack in the stone work over their heads.

"I don't think we're going to like this next part." Her 'hero self' whispered earning a pained whimper in answer from the blonde tucked against her side but Alice refused to answer any more as her other hand found Zelena's just in case.

"It was actually the night of Alice's birthday when Gothel found us she knocked Alice out saying she wouldn't hurt her daughter especially on her birthday when I was the real problem, so she ripped out my heart and used it to bring her own mother back to life."

Another round of popcorned shivering swiped the room while they digested what that meant. Alice even climbing into her Robin's lap needing the closeness.

"When I woke up again Alice said she'd split her heart with me." The woman on the cot laughed and they could all hear the break in her voice at the memory.

"Like Snow did with David." Regina reasons.

"Talk about knowing when someone really loves you back." Robin agreed with a shaky laugh "But it didn't work for us like it did with them." She finished in little more than a whisper.

"Oh, that is rather genius. No really think about it." The author says before anyone could speak. "The Dark One from my realm wanting to make your lives miserable but your stories were already written." He started to explain "So the only thing he could do was break them…."

"The fastest way to break someone is to destroy their reality." Alice says when Henry paused thinking things over while remembering a quip of dialogue she'd seen once as Tilly during one of her and Margot's bad day tv show binge watching nights.

"Exactly. Sending everyone on searches that will never stop or like in Robin's case avenging deaths that never really happened to twist us into different versions of ourselves. When all along the ones we love are alive just trapped in different realms…. well different books then ours so we can never truly find them." Henry finished with a node "A curse within a curse."

"English please." Both Robin's asked both of them having their arms crossed over their chest while holding the bridge of their nose between their fingers trying to push the start of a headache away while they listened.

This time is was Zelena that answered her eyes softer now as they land on the Robin not wrapped in Alice's arms as she spoke, "If the Alice from your world really is dead then why is the half of her heart your carrying still beating?"

Before an answer could be given the sound of struggling steps sounded down the stone steps and several whispered curses.

"What?" Rogers asked still trying to balance everything he was carrying under the somber yet hopeful looks the rest of them were sending them. "It's not really my fault you forgot to warn me about the waiting list during the lunch rush." The cop reminded them with a cheeky laugh as he started divvying out the food and milkshakes he'd brought with him.


	8. The Almost Break….ing Point

Something is wrong, yet only Alice and Regina seem to have noticed it.

“Either take a pic or stop looking at me like that. I already said I’m fine like ten times already.” Targo (Alice’s tentative name for her archer’s other self. Not that she’s said it out loud yet) warns her eyes leveled at her aunt rather than Alice. She hadn’t made any kind of move to the meal they’d offered her choosing instead to stalk back and forth like a caged lioness just waiting to strike while the others ate occasionally muttering to herself every so often as she moved.

“How about you stop pacing like that and we’ll think about believing you.” Robin suggested around a bite of her sandwich keeping her other hand tightly clasped in Alice’s. Not that the blonde minded much. The contact kept her from going over to do the same thing with ‘Targo’ Robin the longer the other woman paced.

“Look as much as I want to test this theory of yours the author is no use to me half dead.” Targo argued her eyes seeming to glow that deep green that has Alice both nervous and enticed but there was also a lingering hollowness in her eyes that pains Alice more every time she noticed it.

Rogers had long since departed taking the Sheriff back to the house on Mifflin to rest properly. They’d had to take a chance on leaving both dark bound books in the vault not knowing the effect actually seeing them would have on ‘Targo’ let alone what could happen if she held one of them so while Alice was acting as a distraction by asking about the meaning behind the small image of an anchor on Targo’s bow arm Regina and Zelena sealed the room with as much magic as they could without arousing too much suspicion.

“Babe any other day I’d love the attention but stop staring.” The black dressed archer laughed the pain behind her eyes lessening the instant her gaze met Alice’s. “No seriously Jones stop it or hero over there will be pulling a me _really_ soon.” She added finally picking up the shake Zelena had offered her hours ago giving the dazed blonde a teasing smile as she started chewing on the end of the straw taking a seat as far from her glaring other self as Regina’s vault would let her.

“And before you ask _hero_ yes I think it is exactly how she felt.” Targo scoffed after taking a long drink of the shake nearly draining it in one go yet surprising everyone when she didn’t get a brain freeze because of it as she reclaimed the camp bed in the corner of the room making Regina and Zelena exchange a worried glance when the archer’s eyes lingered on the door guarding the book then returned to staring at the ceiling.

All eyes turned to the Robin on Alice’s other side including Alice’s “Wondering if you felt as annoyed when you split with EQ.” she explained in a low annoyed voice her eyes sliding from Targo to Regina then down to her lap while Alice leaned in pressed a comforting kiss against her fiancée’s shoulder

“How much magic do you keep down here?” Targo wondered massaging her temples her eyes still going to the door of the room housing the books.

“Nearly all I have left.” Regina answered automatically exchanging a glance with her sister the longer the darker archer looked at the chipped wood of the alcove door.

“How about you go rest for a little while love either that or eat something,” Alice suggested making both Robin’s look at her rather than the door this time. “Even for us, this is a lot to take in one day.” She laughed and for once ‘Targo’ joined in nervously brushing her own hair back behind her ear as she dropped her eyes nodding in agreement.

“Yeah.” Targo agreed with the ghost of a smile on her lips “but I’m not hungry right now so I guess I’ll try sleeping.” She shrugged “That air mattress still in the same place?” she asked making Regina node mechanically her mind pulling her back to the last time she’d used the bed in question. “Mind if I use it?” an all so different Robin Hood asked earning another stiff node from the Good Queen of the U.R. “Night then.” The archer shrugged giving Alice a lingering look before departing for her ‘room’.

“It must be like the pull of the dagger was on Emma.” Regina suggested as soon as they were sure Targo was out of earshot using all her willpower to keep from sinking too much into her own memories. “And obviously just as powerful.” She noted, “Then we need to move them both no matter what the author says she can’t be in the same place with it overnight who know what she’ll do if the pull gets too strong.” Robin says her tone telling the others not to argue with her.

“Alright, but how do you except to distract her while we walk them out of here? Knock her over the head?” Zelena says meaning it as a joke yet no one laughed not even her.

Robin was already shaking her head “She’ll be expecting us to do something like that. I would. And using any more magic to shield them will only make her even more suspicious of what we’re keeping from her.” She archer explained her eyes finding and holding Alice’s after their long contemplation of the magickly sealed corridor housing her other half. “How can you even think of asking me to do something like that?” the blonde answers her arms folding across her chest while she reads some unspoken suggestion in Robin’s gaze.

“It’s the only way to know for sure that she’ll be completely distracted enough to even think of lowering the protection around the book.” Robin says Alice curses at that reminding them all of who her father is with the language. “How is that even a solution to you? That would be like holding up a giant flashing sign that says, _‘Targo we’re trying to distract you so please go along with it, so we don’t have to knock you unconscious.’_ it’s idiotic and cruel and I’m not going to do it.” She answers flicking her long hair over one shoulder.

“Trust me, baby, this is my absolute last resort idea.” Robin says honestly

“Well to bad think of a new idea.” Alice growls when Robin still refused to look away “I’m not going to use your….I mean her feeling toward me against her like that.” Alice says her voice now a low snarl while Robin stays quiet and Regina and Zelena look between the two as if watching an incense tennis match both trying to work out just what Robin was asking Alice to do.

“Come on its not like you haven’t already thought about it.” Robin bargained after a short pause catching the other three off guard with the change in her tact now leaning back against the stone archway her arms like Alice’s crossed over her front while one of her legs bent at the knee as her foot rested against the side of a stack of heavy looking trunks that lined the walkway the other planted firmly on the ground.

“She’s still you or at least a version of you.” Alice agrees all watching unable to miss the pink tent to her cheeks her tongue flicking out to wet her lips as her eyes flickered toward the hallway leading to where Robin’s doppelganger had chosen to stay. But just as quickly as the look happened it was gone, and Alice’s face smoothed into an unreadable mask.

“Just think of it like I’m the one having the bad day. This is the only way to be sure the book won’t corrupt me….her.” Robin says pushing away from the archway to step into Alice’s personal space much like ‘Targo’ had done minutes earlier making Alice’s mind short circuits while Robin’s warm breath brushed against her ear in a whispered. “Help me Tower Girl please.”

“Fine.” Alice caved the blush momentarily returning to her cheeks while she tried to remember how to breathe. “But only because she owes me a proper dance.”

“She owes you a what now?” Robin asked but Alice doesn’t answer her turning instead toward Regina “Have you got any medical supplied handy I want to check that knife wound on her shoulder as well make sure she hasn’t broken the sticks.” Regina nodded getting up to gather up what Alice might need rather than using her magic to summon everything while Zelena moved over to talk quietly with her daughter. “What’s with the wardrobe change?” Regina asked bringing the other two back to the world around them before the talk became a whispered argument while she handed Alice the supplies she’d asked for.

It was Robin’s sharp inhale that answered for them when her head turned to look.

Alice had gone back to sporting a skirt rather than the ripped black jeans she’d adopted from Tilly’s wardrobe as well as changed into the form-fitting peasant style shirt and corsets she’d loved before the curse but instead of white and blue like they were used to seeing her shirt was now a pinkish red and the corsets over it was a faded charcoal.

“You’ve been holding out on me.” Robin accused her mouth going dry at the sight “You said distract you Nobin.” Alice reminded her with a sly wink “Make sure to soundproof the archway please.” She whispered as she passed the other two following in the direction Targo had gone.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Would anyone want a mini-chap about what happened between Alice and 'Targo' or not?


	9. Distracting Robin…erm…Targo

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rated M possibly E chapter that can be skipped if you don't want to read. Just know that skipping this chapter won't mess up any later chapters. This is just a mid-story bonus.

Alice pretended not to notice the way Targo’s eyes snapped to her as soon as she stepped into the archway or how they seemed to be drinking her in. “Hello, beautiful.”

“I want to check that knife wound of yours again before you turn in for the night if that’s alright.” Alice explained holding up the supplies while trying to steady her trembling hands. “I know it’s kind of cold back here when the weather drops.” Robin says apologetically which was a perfectly true answer giving the time of year. “All the more reason for me to take a look at your shoulder.” Alice points out talking with that determined air she knew Robin loved in her.

Targo let out a breath of a laugh at the comeback her eyes tracing every line the corset seemed to define along her upper body now Alice was close enough for her to really appreciate the change in her wardrobe. “You really have a thing about getting me out of my shirt don’t you Tower Girl?” She joked leaning back against the wall her posture now mirroring how Robin had been sitting moments ago yet instead of bracing herself against the opposite wall this Robin just kicked her legs out against the mattress she was resting on.

Alice knew she’d meant it as a passing tease not any kind of challenge, yet that didn’t stop her from stripping out of the caracole colored fabric her hands fumbling only once with the laces keeping it in place before it was tossed across the giggling archer’s lap. Robin’s posture visibly gulped at the offering despite Alice still wearing both her shirt and her skirt as she folded herself down beside the mattress. “Now do you want to do it yourself or am I going to have to do it?” she asked conversationally again pretending not to notice how now Robin’s hands were trembling as she reached down to tug at the fitted over armor of her hunting gear.

“I’ll need help.” Robin relented after a few seconds of trying to work out the laces and buckles keeping her clothes in place talking in a soft almost bashful whisper while Alice sorting in the supplies she’d brought with her. “Of course you will because you could have gotten an infection or something that I didn’t see earlier when I was stitching you up and it you did then it will be my fault and…..” Alice rambled making quick work of the restraints keeping the sleek armor in place, so Robin was stripped down to one of her more favored lace-up hunting shirts much like the one she’d been wearing when they had met.

“Jones shut up.” Robin groaned resting her hand over Alice’s mouth to quiet her, but Alice could hear the hint of sarcasm behind the complaint clear enough for her to crawl up onto the bed putting on a little wounded pout when Robin scooted away at the action yet was unable to move more than a few inches back before running into the stone wall behind them.

Alice didn’t hesitate in her movements this time kicking her leg over Robin’s so she was now straddling the archer’s lap the hand not bracing herself against the mattress beside Robin’s hip reaching up to let her fingers hook in the laces of Robin’s hunting shirt dragging her forward until the hunter’s forehead was resting against her own in that tender way that had the stone hardened woman’s half-heart racing in her chest.

“How about you make me Mills?” Alice encouraged closing what little distance remained between their lips.

Kissing Robin Mills was always something Alice loved to do, and truth be told she was more than a lot addicted to the task. Even as Tilly she just couldn’t get enough of Robin’s lips no matter how much lip glosses Margot put on and despite giving it up to her mother before they had met both Alice could always taste the lingering hum of magic in every kiss the two had shared both before and during the curse. Kissing this Robin Mills, however, was a completely new experience. One that for the moment at least Alice wasn’t the least bit ashamed to say she was going to savor regardless of the possible damage doing so would cause her love life come morning.

Instead of a gentle hum of magic like she was used to at the start of the night this Robin’s body seemed to crackle with it right from the beginning like Alice was used to a little later in the evening the subtle change making her already hazy mind drown even more in the taste of the lips still molded against her own. The tension building the longer their tongues took to map the others mouth so much so that Alice was a tad disappointed that she didn’t see sparks coming from her archer’s thoroughly kiss-swollen lips when they had to part for oxygen while their hands sought out more contact with bare skin.

Their shirts were quickly tossed as far away as possible both pleased to note the other’s lack of a bra before hands were roaming again tracing scars both old and new ones mostly relearning all the places (above the waist) to touch that made the other shudder because of something other than the chilly air around them.

“You know I love a good challenge.” Robin purred reminding Alice of the challenge she’d given a few moments ago making Alice whimper as her archer’s nails scrap lightly down her back leaving little shocks of pain behind until the pirate captain’s daughter pulled her smirking outlaw in for another rougher kiss than the last then giving one final tug on the annoying band keeping Robin’s hair in its braid away letting Robin’s hair drape down her back and slightly over one shoulder reminding Alice a little of how Margot had it when she’d finally asked Tilly on their second first first date.

“Come get me.” Alice murmured braiding her fingers in Robin’s hair moving up, so she was sitting directly on Robin’s lap rolling her hips forward coaxing out a pleading whimper from her archer while Alice rememorizing the alluring aroma of strawberry shampoo and the deep woods along with that special something that was only ever Robin (or Margot when she was still Tilly) that never ceased to drive the adventuress woman mad in want while branding Robin’s throat with little love bites and wet kisses that had her love moaning in unneeded encouragement.

“Alice?” Robin whispered her eyes closed head tilted toward the hallway leading to the rest of the vault yet with the same need Alice felt singing in her own veins captured in the breathy timbre of her archer’s voice making Alice’s hips grind even harder into Robin’s lap earning a hard buck upwards in return. “Alice.” Robin repeated in a low moan her eyes opening when the claiming mouth reached the valley between her breasts. One of Robin’s hands moving cupping the back of Alice’s head her fingers twisting into her hair while her other hand moved fisting with Alice’s against the mattress as if anchoring herself in the moment as their hips rocked against one another harder both quietly cursing the only remaining layer of clothes keeping them from the real friction they craved.

Alice just prayed someone out there had listened to her about the soundproofing and that the thing was still working so only Robin would hear her rather un-lady like squeak of a moan when her lover’s calloused fingers skimmed up even higher along her inner thigh under her skirt toward the heat pooling between her legs. “Jesus Alice.” Robin purred letting her fingers slide along the wetness she found quietly marveling at just how wet Alice already was for her bringing another pleading whimper from the woman in her arms.

“Sshh I’ve got you, baby.” Robin promised pressing a soft kiss against Alice’s lips circling the pads of her fingers against the source of the heat between her girlfriend’s legs every flick of her fingers making Alice’s nails dig a bit deeper into the skin of her uninjured shoulder.

How she’d managed it Robin wasn’t about to ask just that it not stop when she felt an equally skilled touch against her own growing wetness. “You were saying love?” Alice giggled that ended in a panting moan on the next thrusting brush of Robin’s touch against her inner walls. “God Robin get these clothes off now.” Alice demanded in a broken whine her pelvis moving in time with Robin’s stroking fingers the added pulse of low simmering magic adding even more delicious vibrations making it all but a pure miracle Alice remembered speech while Robin herself was having an equally hard time trying to remember words other than begging moans for more from only the mildest brush of pressure stroking against her own core.

“We’ve got all night for this Tower Girl.” Robin moaned her free hand pushing the long-forgotten medical supplies off the bed giving them more room as Alice guided her down to lay back against the mattress mercifully without the need to remove her hand or slow her teasing movements as she did so.

“Clothes off Mills.” Alice says again Robin almost breaking just from the sinful hum brushing against the shell of her ear while her legs hooked around Alice’s hips in a shuddering vice when Alice’s rhythm set against her drenched center sped up only to slow to a crawl the next second ripping a strangled scream of pleading curses most of which Alice had taught her clawing their way from between Robin’s lips. “Hummm. Love when you talk pirate.” Alice praised burying her nose against Robin’s hair for another deep breath of strawberries and the earth musk of the forest, but Robin could tell even after only being able to share one brief time with her true love like this that Alice was just as close to the edge as she was.

“Get my clothes off and I’ll talk even more.” Robin bargained feeling Alice’s hips girding around her fingers in her own quiet begging plea.

“I hate you Nobin.”

“No, you don't Tower Girl.” Robin laughed swallowing Alice’s gasping moan in another kiss as they both chased the other over the edge for the first time that night.


	10. Dealing with the Aftermath

Alice didn’t know what was worse waking up alone the next morning or thinking over how awkward seeing both Robin and Targo will be once she left the room.

“Hey, sleepy head.”

Alice didn’t roll over at the sound of the voice nor did she move when the bed dipped beside her back. Not that Targo moved to touch her but the heat of her body so close in the chill was raising goosebumps along Alice’s back where the blanket didn’t cover in its tangled mess around her body.

“Al please.” The copy of her archer pleads when she continued to face the wall instead of looking at her. Alice shrunk away when she felt the body beside her roll into her and not away from her like she wanted her to. She hated that her tortious body unlocked at the heat of her body pressed against her back clothes as she was while Alice was just wrapped in a sheet.

“Look Tower Girl I know you think I’m upset about what happened between you two last night and I will admit that yes I am jealous about it but I’m the one that pushed you to do it so it’s my own fault I feel like this.”

“What?” Robin wondered when Alice rolled around in the half circle of her arms to look at her “Oh, you thought I was her didn’t you?” she let out a soft “Sorry to disappoint baby but your all mine again.” at Alice’s guilty node.

“The other one is out back hacking up some poor trees in ‘sword training’ or whatever it was she said this morning.”

“On her own?” Alice asked her voice scratchy from the night before

“Humm I really got you going last night huh?” Robin murmured rather than answering her question as she leaned in to press a kiss against the exposed skin of Alice’s shoulder letting her tongue run over some healing scratch marks. “A bit.” The blushing blonde confessed knowing that under the sheet her body had more than a few love bites and other marks peppering her skin. From the look in her eyes, Robin knew as well but didn’t say anything other than lean in to kiss Alice’s lips in a greedy kiss.

A kiss that was cut too short or Alice’s liking so early in the morning.

“And yes. Other me….”

“Targo,” Alice says. “What it keeps the two of you straight to me. You’re Nobin and she’s Targo.” She calcifies at Robin’s groan at the name.

“I’ve never been happier to be called that.”

“Told you Nobin will be cool someday.” Robin rolled her eyes at that pressing another softer kiss to Alice’s lips letting the blonde cuddle closer. “Yeah yeah Nobin’s cool I guess anyway, Targo went out don’t know where.”

Alice felt that disconcerting pull tugging at her heart to go check on the other archer dispute the rest of her wanting to stay right where she was in her Robin’s arms for a little while longer.

“What’s wrong?” Of course, Robin noticed. Her Robin always seemed to know when she was upset. “Remember when Tilly used to have that buzzing in her head?”

“Yeah, it’s a little hard to forget when it put a damper on our second first date.” Robin tried to joke giving Alice’s nose a soft kiss at the pout she was getting at the reminder. “but didn’t you say that was just the pull of the dagger calling you?”

Alice nodded pressing her forehead against Robin’s shoulder. “I’m not the guardian anymore but I can still hear it.” She whimpered “Ever since last night but it’s like I just realized that was what it was now I’m not distracted.”

“Yeah you and me together is a pretty nice distraction.” Robin agreed but Alice shook her head again propping herself up on her elbow to look at her better. “It’s not that. It started long before that happened. Almost as soon as you tried to take Targo’s heart from her.” she says trying to think passed the growing thrum of pain in her head as if admitting it out loud

“How about we not think about that anymore for now and get you a nice hot shower, into some clean clothes and maybe stop off at Granny’s for a bite then we can ask the Sheriff when he comes back tonight?”

Alice lets out an agreeing mew at the idea losing herself in the feel of Robin’s fingers against her skin rather than the dull ache in her head.

*****

No matter how much she tried to drown it out it was always there when she’d look up. Even when she’d smashed the mirror in yet another attempt to forget.

She needed to forget, to think about something anything other than how an Alice that wasn’t hers had in the course of a night broken and awakened her all at once.

Not even the buzz in her head could drown it out. The guilt. The rage. The pain. But most of all the craving for more. Who was she kidding? She needed Alice. Being with her Tower Girl helped keep the darkness from destroying her all over again. Not that she’d ever get the chance after what she’d done. Or rather the who she’s done.

God, there can’t possibly be enough liquor in this bar to make her forget but hell she was going to try.

“Might want to slow down.”

The comment was ignored in favor of grabbing the bottle of thankfully harder whiskey that Robin uncapped with one of her hunting knives rather than show her surprise at the sudden appearance. She was sure she’d disarmed the alarm and killed the cameras on her way in.

How the hell had he gotten in?

“Not like it can kill me.” She grumbles downing half the bottle in one long drink only for her arm to be forced down onto the bar top the icy chill of the steel against her skin making Targo’s unfocused eyes move up the arm to the concerned face of her companion as the half-full bottle is knocked from her grip falling to the floor instead. “I was drinking that.”

“What happened to you?”

Robin rolls her eyes at the question twisting her trapped wrist, but the metal hook stayed where it was only to use his other hand to pin Robin’s to the bar when she tries to use her free hand to grab another liquor bottle. “Seriously?” The one-handed man didn’t say a word or act as if he’d heard her grumbled whine as he sat down at the bar without releasing his hold.

God she was too sober to deal with this, so she gives up and tells him. Maybe then he’ll see why she needs to drink away her feelings like he used to.

“Normally I’d go find a bar fight to jump into but seeing as I can’t use magic.” She rolls up her sleeve showing off the leather cuff her mother made her put on before she’d been allowed out of the vault. “and even in Storybrooke the bars aren’t open this early I had to settle for a bar raid than bar fight.” When Hook didn’t look convinced Robin kept going. “Yesterday I finally got revenge on the woman that destroyed my life worse than my mother ever could, I came to a parallel realm from the one I’ve known for a fresh start found out that the woman I love more than my own life maybe isn’t dead and I celebrate that fact by jumping into bed with the version of her from this realm.”

Hook tilted his head to the side at least interested in what she’d said just annoyingly not so inclined to give her back her drink choice, “After all this time apart you still love her?” was the only answer he can think of to say and had Robin had the use of both her hands she would have punched him. As it was, she couldn’t even head butt him properly with the bar between them. “That’s the stupidest question I heard in this realm so far. Of course, I still love her. Never stopped before and don’t plan to stop.”

“We still needed to check.”

Robin rolled her eyes again with a defeated huff at the newcomer striding into the bar. Her usual and now signature red leather jacket replaced by a black hooded bomber style that seemed to have come from Robin’s own wardrobe rather than from Hooks. “Sure, cause me declaring that I still love her will make everything better when she finds out what I did.” Robin laughs while the savior and her pirate have one of those unspoken conversations that Robin wasn’t really in the mood to witness but did end in the pirate tugging his hook out of the bar top giving Robin back the use of her shooting hand.

“You slipped up but at least it was still with at least a version of Alice.” Hook says handing his wife the whiskey with a grin as she takes several long drinks it right out of the bottle like a pro. “Gah rum is better.” She comments coughing a little had she hands the drink back to Robin before speaking again. “What he’s saying is is that you messed up and messing up is part of being human. Everyone messes up now and then but at least you know that you screwed up otherwise why would you be here trying to drink away your feelings.”

“Worked for him.” Robin defends pointing with the whiskey bottle toward Hook, but Emma shakes her head holding out her hand.

The sigh of her name at her refusal to hand over her chosen drink had Robin’s eyes closing involuntarily her mind covering up another woman with honey-colored hair instead of the one who’s hand now closed around her wrist across the bar top. Although Robin had to admit she liked the sight behind her eyes of her Alice in that same black leather jacket muted blue shirt and mild blue jeans. “Please.”

Robin relented at last hearing more than seeing Hook sliding behind the bar to help her when she swayed on her feet. “Let’s get you cleaned up before we head to Granny’s for a bite ay.” He suggests sharing a look with his wife that Robin barely registered as she nodded in agreement.

*****

(At the same time right outside the bar)

“This would be a lot easier if we called Emma to help.” Zelena comments as they pull up along the curb. “I know but ever since they told Hope she was going to be a big sister they’ve been busy getting the house ready for baby number two.” Regina says turning the car off and opening her door to get out.

“That I understand but still just four weeks along is just too early to spill the beans if you ask me.” Zelena says leaning up against the back panel of the car as her sister rounds the back to step up onto the sidewalk beside her.

They’d just started toward the front door when it opened seemingly on its own ushering out an obviously intoxicated Targo Mills out into the world with a giggled “Thanks pirate jirk.” To the air somehow managing to stay standing as the door swings closed behind her.

“Targo?”

“Sweetheart.”

Robin looks up with a groan at the names with a muttered “Do I have to? Why can’t I stay with you guys?” as the two witches approached as if she were a skittish animal.

Regina shook her head just ad puzzled as her sister at what she was talking about but guesses it was because of her current state of being pickled in a mix of cheap and expensive whiskey at the moment.

“Emma let me have it.” Targo grins in pride showing off her new jacket that Regina and Zelena have to assume she’d most likely stolen before hitting the bar while the younger woman talked as if that was the reason her mom and aunt were looking at her like she’d grown a second head turning her unfocused eyes toward the empty space beside her as if the Savior was standing right beside her rather than across town playing mediator as her just turned two-year-old daughter and her husband argue over what color to paint the new babies’ nursery.

“But I don’t want to go with them.” Robin whined still looking at air as she swayed again on the spot. “Shut up other pirate.” She snapped this time looking toward her other side only for her face to crumple into a wounded puppy pout seconds later. “Sorry Hook.” She mutters then turning to face the only other two around. “Can you take me home, please? I still need to get cleaned up before I meet them later at Granny’s.” Zelena instantly nodes her arm sliding around Targo’s waist to support her when her legs threaten to buckle under her.

“Come on Monkey.” Zelena whispers more than a little uneasy by the one eighty change in the copy of her daughter now nuzzling her head against the crook of her shoulder as she guides her back toward the car.

“I miss Alice.” Targo sighs feeling tears sting in her eyes as she says the name as she glances one last time at the couple still standing guard beside the car.

Hook has his arm around Emma’s waist her head resting against his shoulder as she watches Zelena buckling Robin into the back seat as if she’s five again. “You’ll see her again soon.” the savior tells her her voice cracking as if she’s about to cry as well as she leans even more against her husband’s side.

“We’ll be back to check on you soon okay lass?” Hook says making Robin’s eyes slide to him instead.

“Promise?”

The pair node at the same time in quiet answer. “Mmmkay.” Robin yawns pillowing her head against her own shoulder as the car pulls away.


End file.
